Mark Levine serves as the CEO for the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based publishing company Hillcrest Media Group and has self-published several books over the course of his career. A Minnesota resident, Mark Levine published the first edition of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing in 2003.

Regarded as one of the top resources for authors who wish to self-publish, The Fine Print of Self-Publishing provides comparisons of self-publishing companies. The newest fifth edition,contains sections on eBook publishing and book marketing. The first edition of the book analyzed 78 self-publishing companies and was available exclusively in PDF form. Despite its limited distribution form, it quickly became a popular resource for authors looking into self-publishing companies.

In 2006, Levine released a second edition of the book in print form, which increased the amount of positive attention he and his books received. The book’s success led to a wide increase in sales and, subsequently, additional speaking and consulting opportunities in the self-publishing industry. Positive reception also prompted Levine to begin establishing his own business in the self-publishing industry through the Minnesota-based company Click Industries, for which he served as CEO at the time. He later released the third and fourth editions of The Fine Print in 2008 and 2011, respectively.

The fifth edition of The Fine Print was released in print and eBook format in January 2014 with a new format and content not available in previous editions. New content for the fifth edition includes comprehensive comparisons of self-publishing companies and a section that covers self-publishing resources.

The Fine Print of Self-Publishing has received several awards since the release of its first edition. In 2009, The Independent Publisher Book Awards granted the third edition with a gold medal and the fourth edition received a bronze medal the year of its release. It also received a Best Business Book award from The Midwest Book Awards in 2012. The Fine Print was a finalist in two categories in The 2015 Midwest Book Awards.

Levine is now working on the sixth edition, which will be released in early 2016.

For more information about the fifth edition of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, visit Levine’s website at bookpublisherscompared.com.